Fading
by Fuji S
Summary: Al is fading.


**Disclaimer:**_ Full Metal Alchemist does not belong to the writer but this story and it contents does. Please do not sue the writer since the writer isn't getting any money off this story._

**Title:** Fading  
**Anime:** FMA  
**Type:** Angst  
**Centric:** Al  
**Editor: ** **cocacat15**  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Status:** Completed 2-16-04 12:25PMT

"The memories they are fading." The soft-echoed voice whispered through the room, empty like him, existing without being truly there.

It was like this always likes this for Alphonse or what remains of Alphonse since that dreadful moment of his and his brother's life. Surely, he would never touch a clear glass window to feel the coldness of slick material on his palm. No longer would he be able to remember how the hot feel of the sun would heat up his body.

No longer would he be able to touch his brother and feel the crisp softness of those gentle locks of hair. Did Alphonse mourn for what he had lost, yes he did. For what he remembered is all that he remembered, what he could do is all that he could do, but all that remain is the shell of the boy that use to smile with bright happiness.

Inwardly Alphonse knew, 'A person cannot gain something without losing something. To obtain something you need something of equal value. This is the Law of Conservation in Alchemy. At the time, we believed that to be the truth of the world.'

Foolish they were to try to beat this rule to try to put in things they thought was worth of a human soul. In return they were punished severely by the Gods, even though they were children and ignorant, due to their blindness Al lost his body and Ed in turn lost his arm and leg.

Though to Al he felt there was something strange whenever he stood near his brother. Sometimes when he reaches out to his Nii-san he feels the other pull away and that hurt him deeply in the strictest emotional sense. He didn't know what had happened when he was taken away, all he remember was waking up to find himself in metal his hands, his legs, everything metallic.

If he could he would close his eyes, but he had no eyes, when he tries to sleep he could not find any rest and all he does is just float there. Could he even dream? The answer was no so all he does is mimicking the void of sleeping in pure boredom for he knew inwardly that his brother would worry. The one thing he couldn't let his brother do is worry, yet whenever he laughed he felt hollow inside like he wasn't suppose to be here anymore.

Yet—was that so bad to not be here? Surely he couldn't bear letting his brother be alone for the moron would somehow get himself killed, the one thing he didn't want to do is let his brother be alone in this cold world. Inwardly however there was a small segment of him that wondered if this was how he should truly think, after all he was no longer that small boy, his brother now age fifteen grew up slowly not to mention painfully. That great burden in him to try to bring his little brother backs. 

Al was grateful of course to his brother's dedication, but a small part of him knew that it would all be in vain. Only thing he could do is bid his time and hopefully by the end of this journey his brother would gain back what he lost, that arm and leg and hopefully by then Al can drift off into that blissful feeling of sleep that he use to remember when he was young.

To dream of that endless void and to never awaken just to be sleeping in peace. Oh—he knew his brother would be mad even pissed off, but the Law of Conservation in Alchemy held steed fast. A person cannot gain something without losing something. To obtain something you need something of equal value.

What would be most valuable but a life for a life just likes how his life was possibly the equal amount to that of his mother. Or was it more of a body to a body Al muses as he pressed his helmet to the glass the weather reflected his mood the hollowness. Whenever he slid his metallic hands to pick up his head detaching it, he could still see from those tiny holes. Then turning his head he would shift it so that he could peer inside at the array that held him together, that tiny splotch of his brother's blood that desperately try to keep him in place.

Though this wasn't what bothered Al one bit, what bothers him the most was the emptiness inside that shell. Hollow just like how he feels to be bodiless to be empty and even now just like a small jug full of water that had sprouted a hole. The liquid that kept him whole was dripping away, time was running out for him and Al knew that soon things would be over.

Yes for you can't have everything and in the end someone is going to end up hurt. Sliding his head back into place it was tempting to just destroy that array to let his brother let go. Because whenever Al stayed awake in the night he felt that he was nothing but a dead weight to his brother.

He didn't want to be a deadweight to his brother. He didn't want to be a burden to that smiling rascal that was his nii-san. But all he knew is that time was running short and pretty soon things are going to end.

For pretty soon when the water in the jug is gone it would be gone forever, for nothing can replace what was lost, that was the true law that he believed in.


End file.
